Venetian Harbor Returns In Saturday’s Monrovia

A two-time graded stakes winner who has been idle since well beaten by Eclipse Champion Gamine in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 7, the Richard Baltas-trained Venetian Harbor heads a field of eight fillies and mares going 6 ½ furlongs on turf in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita.

Although she looms large on class alone, Venetian Harbor will face serious opposition as she catches a field with four last-out winners and a pair of distaffers that come off of second-place finishes in their most recent starts.

The Keith Abrahams homebred Constantia rates high on the list of recent winners, as she rallied impressively to take an ungraded sprint stakes going six furlongs on turf here April 17 and the Baltas-trained Nasty, a gate to wire ungraded stakes winner here at a flat mile on turf back on Dec. 26, also rates a huge chance.

A winner of Santa Anita's Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes going a flat mile on the main track in her third start on Feb. 8, 2020, Venetian Harbor was then second as the odds-on favorite to eventual Eclipse Champion 3-year-old Filly Swiss Skydiver in Oaklawn Park's Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes May 1 and was subsequently second in both the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland July 11 and the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 8. A winner of the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes two starts back going seven furlongs on dirt at Keeneland Oct. 17, Venetian Harbor was never a factor when beaten 16 ½ lengths in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Although she's be trying a new game with turf on Saturday, Venetian Harbor, in her only start on grass, ran a solid second in her career debut, beaten three quarters of a length going five furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 15, 2019.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, LLC, Highland Yard, LLC, River Oak Farm and Domenic Savides, Venetian Harbor, a 4-year-old filly by Munnings out of the Street Cry mare Sounds of the City, will be ridden for the first time by Mario Gutierrez. With an overall mark of 8-3-4-0, she has earnings of $513,400.

Trained by John Sadler, Constantia comes off what appeared to be her best ever performance, as she split horses turning for home and rallied for an impressive 1 ½ length win in the Mizdirection Stakes at six furlongs on turf April 17. A 4-year-old filly by Munnings out of the Belong to Me mare Llandudno, Constantia, unlike Venetian Harbor, has been on turf in all 12 of her career starts, which have resulted in a 4-1-3 mark and earnings of $149,752.

With Umberto Rispoli, who is in search of his 15 stakes win at the current meet, back aboard, Constantia will be making her first graded stakes start in the Monrovia.

Cast as the “Other Baltas,” the LNJ Foxwoods-owned Nasty has an outstanding work tab to her credit, with three bullet moves on Santa Anita's training track at distances of five furlongs and a half mile. Idle since taking the one mile turf Lady of Shamrock in gate to wire fashion on opening day, Nasty, who sold for $230,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling, will be ridden for the first time by newly transplanted Trevor McCarthy, who notched his first Santa Anita win at 6 ½ furlongs on turf this past Monday.

A 4-year-old filly by Street Sense out of the Lion Heart mare Valiant Passion, Nasty, who was originally stabled with Brad Cox in the Midwest, made her first start for Baltas three starts back in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at one mile on turf Oct. 17—finishing a close third behind multiple stakes winner Warren's Showtime.

THE GRADE 2 MONROVIA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

  1. Nasty—Trevor McCarthy—122
  2. Never for Money—Geovanni Franco—122
  3. Constantia—Umberto Rispoli—122
  4. Gypsy Spirit—Edwin Maldonado—122
  5. Trickle In—Tyler Baze—122
  6. She's So Special—Juan Hernandez–122
  7. Venetian Harbor—Mario Gutierrez—124
  8. Superstition—Abel Cedillo–122

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Prat Takes Over On Warren’s Showtime For Autumn Miss Stakes

A four-time stakes winner in search of her first graded victory, California-bred Warren's Showtime heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going one mile on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Owned by Ben and Sally Warren and bred by Ben Warren, Warren's Showtime is trained by Craig Lewis and is by red-hot sire Clubhouse Ride, out of the Warrens' G1-winning Warren's Veneda.  Most recently a close third in the G1 Del Mar Oaks, Warren's Showtime is the leading money earner in the field with $460,251.

The Jeff Mullins-trained Croughavouke, a sharp recent one mile turf allowance winner, the Simon Callaghan-trained Mind Out, who fetched $850,000 as a yearling, Leonard Powell's French-bred Guitty, who faced colts in the Del Mar Derby and midwestern invader Nasty, who will be making her first start for Richard Baltas, all would appear to have legitimate chances.

WARREN'S SHOWTIME
Owner:  Ben & Sally Warren
Trainer:  Craig Lewis
Most recently third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths going a mile and one eighth on turf in the G1 Del Mar Oaks Aug. 22, she has been a gem of consistency for her connections, winning three times from seven starts this year while third on three occasions and banking $333,980.  In the Oaks at Del Mar, she appeared to have the race in hand under Mike Smith as she made the lead and opened up by one length a furlong out but may have lost her focus late.  Ridden in her 11 previous tries by Jorge Velez, she'll get the first-time services of Flavien Prat and will get back to what may be a preferred distance, as she's four for seven at a mile on turf.  With three wins from four tries over the Santa Anita grass, she's 12-5-0-5 overall.

CROUGHAVOUKE
Owner:  Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal, LLC
Trainer:  Jeff Mullins
Highly regarded by Mullins since her arrival from her native Ireland late last year, she's placed in a total of four turf stakes in nine Southern California starts, including a close third in the G3, mile and one eighth Honeymoon three starts back on May 30.  Closer to the pace in her one mile turf allowance score on Aug. 29 at Del Mar, she rolled to an impressive three quarter length win as the 2-1 favorite under Umberto Rispoli, who rides back in the Autumn Miss. With an overall mark of 11-2-3-2, Croughavouke seeks her first graded stakes victory on Saturday.

MIND OUT
Owner:  Gainesway Stable, LNJ Foxwoods & Andrew Rosen
Trainer:  Simon Callaghan
Most recently fourth, beaten three lengths by loose on the lead winner BulletproofOne in the 5 1/2-furlong turf Unzip Me Stakes, this chestnut daughter of Tapit is better suited at one mile on turf and figures to run a huge race on Saturday.  A close third to Warren's Showtime in her second career start, the one mile turf Surfer Girl Stakes five starts back on Oct. 6, 2019, Mind Out has the class and running style to spring a mild upset.  She'll be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke.

GUITTY
Owner:  Benowitz Family Trust, Madaket Stables, LLC, M. Mathiesen & M. Powell
Trainer:  Leonard Powell
A deep closer at any distance, she was far back early going a mile and one eighth on turf in the G2 Del Mar Derby Sept. 6 and finished well to be beaten 5 1/4 lengths.  An even seventh two back in the G1 Del Mar Oaks at the same distance Aug. 22, she flew late to be second, beaten three quarter of a length in the G2 San Clemente at one mile on turf July 25.  With two wins, both at a mile on turf, from 10 overall starts, Guitty will hope to be rolling from off the pace with top jock Juan Hernandez engaged.

NASTY
Owner:  LNJ Foxwoods
Trainer:  Richard Baltas
Most recently well beaten as the 7-2 favorite in an ungraded one mile turf stakes running over a yielding course at Indiana Grand Aug. 12, this Kentucky-bred filly by Street Sense had pressed the pace in two previous 1 1/16-mile turf races at Indiana, breaking her maiden by eight lengths on June 18 and taking a second condition allowance by one length on July 13 while favored on both occasions.  Previously trained by Brad Cox, she has two wins from five starts and will debut for Baltas while ridden for the first time by Ricky Gonzalez.  Out of the Lion Heart mare Valiant Passion, Nasty was purchased for $230,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling.

G3 AUTUMN MISS STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10  Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

  1. Mind Out—Drayden Van Dyke—120
  2. Quiet Secretary—Victor Espinoza—120
  3. Nasty—Ricky Gonzalez—120
  4. Guitty—Juan Hernandez—120
  5. Warren's Showtime—Flavien Prat—122
  6. Going to Vegas—Mario Gutierrez–120
  7. Croughavouke—Umberto Rispoli—120

First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m.  Although there is no public admittance, Santa Anita's races can be viewed free of charge, via livestream video at santaanita.com.

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Street Sense Filly Remains Perfect on Turf at Indiana Grand

4th-Indiana Grand, $32,500, Alw, 7-13, (NW2LX), 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.42, fm.
NASTY (f, 3, Street Sense–Valiant Passion {GISP, $132,900}, by Lion Heart), firming into 4-5 favoritism to build on an eight-length graduation when trying turf and two turns for the first time June 18, LNJ Foxwoods’s Nasty traveled like a winner every step of a Monday allowance at Indiana Grand and came home a measured one-length winner. Wrangled back to sit in a stalking second beneath Fernando de la Cruz, the $230,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition traveled strongly down the back and was allowed to stride into the lead nearing the end of the second turn. Roused in upper stretch, Nasty kicked into a clear lead and perhaps idled a stride or two once making the front, but she kept on nicely to maintain a safe one-length margin over her chief market rival Sister Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) and remain on an upward trajectory. Nasty faced a pair of talented fillies in two main-track appearances to start her career, finishing fourth to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ain’t No Elmers (Goldencents) on her Feb. 15 debut at the Fair Grounds before coming home fifth to Casual (Curlin) in an Oaklawn maiden Apr. 11. She could scarcely have been more impressive last time, settling a bit off the speed before whooshing home to graduate by eight emphatic lengths. One of four winners to race from as many to race from her dam, the 2010 GI Spinaway S. third-place finisher, Nasty hails from the female family of GI Breeders’ Cup winner Skywalker and has a foal half-brother by Good Magic (Curlin). Sales history: $230,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $42,900. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O-LNJ Foxwoods; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox.

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